After Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Wednesday testimony on the Benghazi attacks, Republican Texas lawmakers slammed her department for poor preparation, while Texas Democrats blamed Congress for reducing State Department funds.

Steve Stockman, R-Friendswood, characterized Clinton’s answers as evasive and pushed back against Clinton’s testimony regarding a lack of funding appropriated by Congress to the State Department.

“To blame an imagined lack of funding is a weak attempt to deflect blame. Our ambassador in Paris has a Marine detachment guarding him,” Stockman said in a statement. “To fail to give that security to our ambassador in an unstable country with an active terrorist presence is an utter failure by the Administration.”

The hearing was part of an ongoing congressional investigation of an attack on September 11, 2012 on a diplomatic consulate in Benghazi, Libya where four Americans were killed, including the embassy’s ambassador. Administration critics have said pleas for increased security were ignored and that the Obama administration misled the public on what motivated the attack.

Joining Stockman on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs are several Houston-area lawmakers, including Michael McCaul, R-Austin, whose districts extends to Houston suburbs, Ted Poe, R-Humble, and Randy Weber, R-Pearland.

McCaul, who is also the chairman on the House Committee on Homeland Security, grilled Clinton on what he said was a poor reaction to an escalation of attacks leading up to the September attack. McCaul mentioned an August cable sent from the ambassador at Benghazi to the State Department requesting more security.

“Someone within your office should have seen this cable?” McCaul asked Clinton during a testy exchange.

Clinton said that the cable did not come directly to her attention.

At the hearing, Ted Poe noted the recent attack in Algeria where two Texans were killed. Poe asked about bringing to justice those responsible for the Benghazi attack. Clinton said that one person was being monitored in Tunisia, and the FBI was investigating other suspects. Her answers did not seem to satisfy Poe.

“Basically we don’t really know at this point who did it,” Poe said at the hearing.

Weber, the new representative for Southeast Texas’ Gulf Coast, also found Clinton’s testimony lacking.

“It was definitely an exciting first hearing as a new member. Unfortunately, I left the hearing room with more questions than answers,” Weber said in a statement. “For instance, if the loss of four American lives does not constitute a fire-able offense, then what does?”

Weber went on to question why security was inadequate at Benghazi, despite warnings.

Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, who sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security also released a statement following Clinton’s testimony.

“There were known threats to American interests, and multiple requests for help that went unanswered. That is inexcusable. Americans serving overseas deserve better,” Farenthold said.

During her testimony Clinton and Republican lawmakers questioned each other’s facts concerning the Benghazi attack and its aftermath. As if preparing for the tough questions to follow, Clinton opened her testimony noting a difficult history, where 65 Americans have been killed in overseas diplomatic missions since 1977.

“We should never forget the security professionals get it right more than 99 percent of the time,” Clinton told the committee.

Not every member of the committee challenged Clinton’s accounting of the Benghazi attack. Democrats were unanimous in their praise of her tenure, which will end when Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is nominated to replace her.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, a committee member, reiterated Clinton’s testimony that a lack of funding from Congress has tested the State Department’s embassy security.

“After this hearing one thing is clear, Congress must take a look at itself and seriously examine whether it commits the resources that are necessary for the State Department to carry out its job properly,” Castro said in a statement.